With the morning sun, Yasushi woke up, just like he always did, like clockwork. He got up and got ready for the day in the quiet of his house, brushing his teeth, then heading down to the kitchen to fix himself some breakfast.
He was used to being on his own; his parents only came around every once in a while, usually just for the big holidays, whenever they could get away from work for a quick visit.
He got a monthly allowance, like clockwork, just enough to get by. What his parents didn't know was that he'd hit the jackpot not once, but twice, in the lottery, a secret he kept close to his chest. He didn't even want to think about telling them; he knew how people could get, circling like vultures when they smelled money.
He made his breakfast and packed a lunch for later, his mind already drifting toward the weekend. It was Thursday, which meant Friday was just around the corner, a sweet promise of some much-needed downtime and freedom.
After whipping up a killer breakfast that was part Japanese, part English, Yasushi sat down to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Each bite was a little taste of both worlds, a reminder of where he came from and where he was now.
While he ate, he mindlessly scrolled through his phone, checking out the usual social media drama. His feed was a mix of boring updates and the occasional freakout in his LINE group chat. His classmates, mostly guys, were all hyped up about the new transfer student — a topic that came up all the time, but Yasushi couldn't care less.
They kept rambling on and on, voicing their hopes and dreams about this new transfer student, a subject that Yasushi was completely uninterested in.
He finished eating and cleaned up in a flash, then went through the motions of getting ready for the day. He took a shower, got dressed in his warm school uniform, and made sure the house was locked up tight before he stepped outside. He looked up and saw the sky full of dark, heavy clouds, just another ordinary backdrop to his everyday commute.
As Yasushi walked to school, snowflakes started to fall, catching his eye as they drifted down from above. He caught one on his finger, a little smirk playing on his lips. He had always loved winter, a soft spot that went way back to his past life as an Englishman.
England, with its classic combo of rain, clouds, and the occasional, but rare, sunny day or snowfall, had gotten him hooked on the season. There was something about the quiet way the snow fell that just calmed him down, a peacefulness that Yasushi really vibed with. The snowflakes slowly descended, bringing with it a sense of serene quietude, something that Yasushi loved, and could not get enough of.
He walked through Ginsukimura, a city that was totally new to him, since it did not exist in his previous life, passing by all sorts of shops, businesses, and huge buildings, their doors just starting to open for the day.
He checked his watch and saw that he was right on time, as usual, for school, a routine that gave him some small comfort — a few minutes of peace before the craziness of the school day kicked in.
As Yasushi walked up the hill, with cherry blossom trees on either side like they were gossiping in the wind, he noticed someone ahead. He couldn't help but stare; her hair played in the gentle breeze while snowflakes fluttered around her like tiny dancers.
She just stood there, somehow managing to look both totally in charge and like she was from another world. Her snow-white hair stood out against the winter scene, and her deep red eyes seemed to hide a million secrets.
Yasushi felt this weird pull towards her, like some invisible force was drawing him in. He was completely fixated on this girl he'd never seen before. But even though she was a stranger, there was this weird feeling in the back of his mind, like he should know her, like her name was right there on the tip of his tongue, a fleeting, familiar feeling.
"Jingliu..." he murmured, the name escaping his lips almost without him realizing it. His feet stopped moving all on their own, and he just kept staring at the mesmerizing girl standing there in front of him. He murmured it once more, this time louder, as if confirming it to himself, "Jingliu..."
And just like that, it hit Yasushi — she was a character from a game he used to play in his past life, Honkai Star Rail. This whole thing was seriously throwing him for a loop; he'd never had such a trippy blend of his two realities before. He couldn't stop staring, it was like he was silently recognizing this impossible connection.
It was like she felt him watching her, because she suddenly turned around, and her calm look turned into this cold, hard stare. Her eyes, which had been so full of life just a second ago, narrowed into a glare that made Yasushi automatically take a step back.
He was totally caught off guard by how intense she seemed. It was obvious she hated being stared at; her whole vibe screamed, "back off."
She didn't say anything, just kept walking, disappearing through the school gates, heading inside. Yasushi watched her go, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Looks like she's not a fan of being the center of attention. That's gonna be a problem; she's definitely going to get noticed today," he muttered to himself, starting to walk up the hill again, a mix of curiosity and wariness swirling inside him.
He couldn't shake off this new feeling, this sudden intrigue mixed with a healthy dose of caution, thanks to this mysterious, beautiful, clearly easily irritated girl he had just encountered.
+-+
The morning seemed to slow down, filled with a quiet kind of waiting, as Yasushi got settled in his seat, his mind still replaying his run-in with "Jingliu." The minutes dragged by, and he zoned out, listening to his music, a little island of calm in the middle of the building excitement of his classmates' chatter.
Whispers buzzed around the room like excited little ghosts, all about some new girl who'd been spotted earlier — a total mystery who'd caught the attention of all the guys, setting off a wave of guessing and excitement. This mysterious girl had stirred up everyone, igniting a fire of interest, especially in the male students, and it seemed like nobody could stop talking about it.
As the clock ticked closer to the start of class, the bell finally rang, cutting through the noise and signaling the beginning of homeroom. In walked Senbarisu, their homeroom teacher — a woman in her early thirties, with a graceful figure, her black hair tied back in a ponytail, and warm, brown eyes.
She had this way about her that just made everyone pay attention, a calm kind of authority that settled over the classroom as she got ready to start the day's lessons. She exuded an aura of confidence and control, and the class fell into a respectful silence as soon as she entered, ready for whatever she had to teach them.
"As you may have heard—"
"Girl! Transfer student!" some loudmouth in the class blurted out, cracking up the other guys. Their laughter died down pretty quick, though, when Senbarisu shot them her signature death glare.
She cleared her throat, "As I was saying, we have a new transfer student, a girl. Let's give her a warm welcome." She threw in a pointed look for good measure, and the whole class nodded in agreement, understanding the unspoken warning in her tone.
Everyone knew better than to mess around when she got serious, so they all quickly fell in line, getting ready to greet the new student with at least a semblance of politeness.
And then, in walked the mystery girl from earlier, and it was like someone hit the pause button on the entire room. All eyes locked onto her, and for a good reason. Her snow-white hair fell around her shoulders, and those intense red eyes seemed to pierce right through you.
She was dressed in the school uniform — a sharp black and red blazer, a black and gray skirt, knee-high socks, and black shoes — but she looked like she'd stepped out of another world. The contrast of the uniform against her unique features made her stand out even more, pulling everyone's gaze like a magnet.
She gave a formal bow and introduced herself, getting straight to the point. "My name is Jingliu Yang, I'm from China. Both my parents are Chinese and Japanese, and we just moved here because of their jobs. I'll be at this school and in this class for the rest of high school. It's nice to meet you all," she said, her words clipped and to-the-point, no flowery language or unnecessary details.
A thick silence fell over the room, everyone staring at her, some with their mouths hanging open in shock. Yasushi, pretending not to care, just looked out the window like he always did, sneaking a peek at her every now and then.
He was surprised to catch her looking at him for a second before she quickly looked away, an unexpected moment in the middle of all the awkward staring from the rest of the class.
"Wait, you're mixed!?" blurted out some guy, immediately getting a sharp look from Senbarisu, who was clearly not in the mood for any more dumb comments.
Jingliu just answered plainly, "Yes, I am." Her tone was straightforward, leaving no room for further discussion or unnecessary questions from her new, overly curious classmates.
The classroom was dead silent, holding its breath, and then another guy asked, "Are you single?"
"I am," she replied, her face totally blank, not giving anything away as she answered.
"Will you go out with me!? Be my girlfriend, please!" another guy yelled out, completely shattering the awkward silence that had fallen over the room. It was like he couldn't help himself, just blurting it out in front of everyone.
Jingliu's answer was quick and brutal. "I will respectfully decline. Such a notion is frankly, disgusting," she shot back, her glare so intense that the poor guy actually flinched. You could practically see him shrinking in his seat under the weight of her words, a harsh rejection in front of the entire class.
The awkwardness was thick enough to cut with a knife until Senbarisu stepped in, telling Jingliu to take the empty seat in the class. It turned out to be in the same row as Yasushi, just two seats over to his right. She sat down, and just like that, she was part of the class.
With all the formal stuff out of the way, the school day finally started, but the air was still buzzing with curiosity and questions about the mysterious transfer student, Jingliu Yang — weird, cool, but cold, as some were whispering. Everyone was trying to figure her out, this strange mix of aloofness and intensity that seemed to surround her like an invisible aura.
When Jingliu sat down, her eyes slid over to Yasushi, who was back to staring out the window, looking like he didn't have a care in the world. But Jingliu had already noticed him earlier, and there was something in her eyes, a quiet kind of determination, that said she wasn't going to forget their little moment outside anytime soon.
It was like she had filed it away in her mind, a silent acknowledgment of something that had passed between them, even if it was just a look. She seemed to see right through his act, recognizing that there was more going on behind his indifferent facade than he let on.